Betta fish, also known as Japanese fighting fish, are beautiful, elegant aquatic creatures that can live for up to six years. Females typically live longer than males. They are hardy pets, but they can run into health trouble, often caused by unclean tank or water conditions, overfeeding, or more serious health issues.

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Steps

Method 1 of 5: Assessing Your Betta Fish

1

Diagnose the fish’s illness. Take a close look at your fish to determine what is wrong with it. These will give you a clue as to what might be wrong with your fish. An unhealthy fish has little or no appetite, is lethargic, tries to scratch itself on something in the tank, has dull or gray coloring, has clumped up fins, or has patches, rashes or sores on its body.[1]

Most fish illnesses can be first addressed by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the tank. With all of these conditions, try this approach first, and then move on to medications if you don’t see improvement.

Writing down the symptoms will help in case you need to consult an aquatic veterinarian to treat your fish.

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2

Check for fungal infections. With fungal infections, the fish has white patches on its body or head, is lethargic, has no appetite, and has clumped-up fins.[2]

3

Check for tail or fin rot. The fins and/or tail are getting black or red along the edges. They appear to be dissolving or getting shorter. You might see holes or tears in the fin or tail. [3]

Advanced tail or fin rot: This is when the rot has advanced so much that the fish’s fin or tail is actually gone or nearly gone.

4

Check for constipation or swim bladder disorder. If the belly of the fish is enlarged, the fish might have some blockage that needs to be corrected. There will be a lack of excrement in the tank. The fish might have trouble swimming upright, instead swimming on its side or even upside down; this would indicate swim bladder disorder.

5

Check for ick parasites. The fish has white dots all over the body. The fish has no appetite. The fish might get a parasite from live frozen food, and these parasites can be very contagious. Fortunately, bettas usually recover if they are treated right away.[4]

6

Check for velvet parasites. The fish looks like it’s covered in fine gold or rust colored dust. The fish has little appetite and is lethargic. The fish might get a parasite from live frozen food, and these parasites can be very contagious. Fortunately, bettas usually recover if they are treated right away.[5]

7

Check for popeye. One of the fish’s eyes is bulging out, growing bigger every day. The fish may be lethargic and have no appetite.[6]

8

Check for dropsy. The fish’s belly is bloated and has raised scales that resemble an open pine cone.[7] Unfortunately, dropsy is not treatable and your betta fish will likely die soon.

Method 2 of 5: Changing the Aquarium Conditions

1

Get a larger tank. A tank size of 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) at minimum is recommended for a single betta fish. If you have more than one fish, you should get a bigger tank to accommodate all of the fish.[8]

If you have a larger tank, you may not need to change the water as frequently. Toxins will build up more quickly and in higher concentration in a smaller tank.

2

Test the tank’s water. Having a good pH balance will help restrict the levels of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, which will in turn keep your betta healthy. An ideal pH is 7.[9]

Treat the water with a dechlorinator. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to put this into the water.

Test your water for ammonia using a test kit. You will either use a dip-stick test or gather a water sample to test the water. Your ammonia level should read 0, since you just used a dechlorinator. Measure the ammonia level once per day until you start seeing ammonia levels. This will tell you how long you can go before changing the tank’s water.[10]

3

Change and condition the water. Twice a week, you should change the water in the tank to make sure that you don’t have dangerous levels of ammonia, nitrate and nitrite building up. You can use distilled, bottled or tap water, but each kind of water needs to be treated before it goes in the tank in order to restore the proper balance of nutrients in the water.[11]

Change 25%-50% of the water in the tank twice a week. This means you add 25% new water and keep 75% of the old water (or 50% new and 50% old).

Use aquatic water conditioners, available at your pet store for $5-$10, to adjust pH levels in the water. Use them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Add 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt and 1 drop per gallon of a fungus preventative like Aquarisol. Do not use table salt in place of aquarium salt. Table salt may have additives like iodine and calcium silicate, which can be harmful to fish.

4

Cycle your tank. Cycling your tank means that you build up good bacteria in the tank so that your fish can flourish. This bacteria will help keep ammonia levels low by breaking down fish waste into nitrite and then into nitrate. Start with a fresh tank with no fish in it to cycle the tank.[12]

Add an ammonia source to start the process of generating the good bacteria in nitrate. You can either add fish food or an ammonia solution to the tank. Use a test kit to test the water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. Your ammonia level will initially read 0.

Test the water every day and the ammonia level will start to show trace amounts. The ammonia level will then drop as the nitrite level starts to show up. Then the nitrite level will decrease and the nitrate level will go up.

Add a few flakes of fish food every day to keep the ammonia levels generating, which generate nitrite and nitrate levels in turn.

Be patient. Cycling a tank properly can take 4-6 weeks to introduce the proper levels into the tank. The improved water quality will keep your fish healthy and sustain longer lives.

5

Regulate the tank water’s temperature. The tank’s temperature should be between 75 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a 25 watt heater to keep the temperature constant. This heater is available at your pet store or online for $10-15.[13]

Keep a thermometer in the tank and check it periodically to make sure the temperature is constant.

Keep the tank in a warm area of the room. The tank should maintain an even temperature. Keeping it by a window can risk exposure to colder temperatures that can be damaging to the betta.

6

Use a filter in the tank. Place a filter in the tank to help clear the water of impurities. The filter should not cause the water to stir too much, as bettas don’t like turbulent water. Filters are available at the pet store for $30-$150, depending on the size of your tank.[14]

Try an air stone that connects to a small pump if you don’t want to get a filter. Air stones are available at your pet store for $5-$10.

Buy a filter that is the correct size for your tank.

7

Put aquarium salt in the tank. Aquarium salt is derived from evaporated sea water and can be used in fish tanks to reduce nitrite in the water and promote healthy gill functions. It can also help increase electrolytes, which improve a fish’s overall health.[15]

Add 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt for every 5 gallons of water.

Add aquarium salt to new fish tanks, when you are changing the water, and when you are trying to figure out a fish’s health problems.

Do not use table salt in place of aquarium salt. Table salt may have additives like iodine and calcium silicate, which can be harmful to fish.

Method 3 of 5: Disinfecting the Tank

1

Empty the tank. If your fish needs to be isolated, you will also need to disinfect your tank to prevent the transfer of any health problems to other fish. You also should disinfect your tank before putting your fish back into it.[16] Pour out water and remove all objects from the tank.

2

Throw away any live plants. These cannot be disinfected, so it is best to start with new plants if you use live plants.

3

Remove the gravel. If you have natural gravel at the bottom of your tank, remove all of this and bake it on a cookie sheet at 450 °F (232 °C) for one hour. Cool the gravel completely. Do not bake gravel if it is coated with any material, as this will melt. In this case, it is probably best to throw it away and start with fresh gravel.[17]

4

Make a bleach and water solution. Use 1 part bleach to 9 parts fresh tap water and put it in a clean spray bottle. Use regular household bleach with no added detergents. Be careful to never add bleach when fish are in the tank, as this will kill fish.

Spray your bleach solution on the inside of the tank. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.

5

Rinse the tank multiple times. You need to make sure that all of the bleach residue is rinsed out of the tank so it will not contaminate the water after you put the fish back in. Rinse several times, and then rinse it once more for good measure. Wipe the tank dry with a paper towel.

6

Put any other tank items (filter, plastic plants, etc.) in the bleach solution in a bucket or bowl. Let them sit for 10 minutes, and then rinse them multiple times before putting them back in the tank.

Method 4 of 5: Changing the Feeding Habits

1

Feed bettas quality food. Bettas can be picky about their food and should be fed quality food. Choose brine shrimp, blood worms and other food that is made especially for bettas.[18]

2

Do not overfeed your betta. A betta’s stomach is about the size of its eyeball, so feed it about that amount. Feed the betta once per day if it is an adult, and twice a day if it is a fry. Only feed your betta as much as it can eat in two minutes.

If your fish has a rounded belly, you may be feeding it too much. If its belly looks a little caved in, then you might not be feeding it enough.[20]

3

Clean leftover food out of the tank. Uneaten food becomes toxic in the water, contributing to the growth of bacteria and ammonia levels. Bacteria in the tank will in turn start attacking your fish.

4

Give your fish a fast once a week. If your fish seems to have trouble digesting food or seems constipated, you can give it a rest by not feeding it once a week. This will not harm the fish and will allow the fish to work through some of the food already in its system.[21]

Method 5 of 5: Treating your Betta with Medication

1

Isolate your fish. If your fish has a contagious condition, it will need to be removed from the tank so that any illness does not infect other fish. Prepare a holding tank for your fish by putting fresh, conditioned water into the tank. Remove your fish from the original tank and put it in the new tank.

If your fish is experiencing stress because of a new fish or environmental change in its tank, you might find that it feels better after being isolated.

2

Disinfect after handling your fish. Many disorders that fish have can be highly contagious. Anything that touched the fish or the water, including your hands, the fishnet, a spoon, etc., will need to be disinfected before it should come in contact with another fish. Use antibacterial soap to wash your hands.[22]

Disinfect any other item that has come in contact with the fish or the water in the tank using a bleach solution of 1 part bleach and 9 parts water. Soak items for 10 minutes in the bleach solution and rinse very thoroughly. Rinse again for good measure. Never add bleach to the fish tank when fish are in it, as this can kill fish.

3

Administer medication to your fish. Once you have positively identified your fish’s ailment, you can administer a common fish medication to your fish.[23] Give the medication intended for the ailment, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Be sure to try other methods (changing the tank water, changing your fish’s diet) before resorting to medication.

Be sure to give your fish the entire course of medication as recommended by the medicine’s manufacturer.

Do not mix medications. Just like in humans, mixed medications can be harmful to fish.

Use good judgment when giving medications to your fish. Don’t try out several medications guessing at the right one. If you are unsure, you might consider consulting an aquatic veterinarian.

4

Consult an aquatic veterinary specialist. An aquatic veterinarian is one that specializes in treating fish. They are not as common as vets who treat cats, dogs and other household pets. There may be one aquatic vet in your region, if that. Type “aquatic veterinarian” and your city’s name into a search engine to locate your nearest vet.[24]

You can also visit the Aqua Vet Med website[25] for a directory of aquatic vet specialists.

These vets are often mobile, making house calls to diagnose and treat your fish. This reduces the amount of trauma and stress that could affect your betta fish, and also allows the vet to see the betta fish in its typical living conditions.

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